Storing bread without plastic: how to keep it fresh for longer
Store bread without plastic in a bag that breathes, at room temperature and out of the sun. Let fresh bread cool down completely first, close the bag properly and do not put it in the fridge. Not going to finish it within a few days? Then freeze it in slices.
In a plastic bag the moisture stays inside. Soft bread stays tender, but a crust turns soft and chewy. Loose on the worktop the opposite happens: the bread dries out. A fabric bag sits in between. According to the Dutch consumer programme Kassa, a cotton bread bag helps keep bread fresh because it protects it from air and moisture loss.
How to store bread in four steps
- Let it cool. Warm bread still gives off moisture. Only put it in the bag once it is completely cold. The Dutch baking site bakken.nl also advises always letting baked goods cool first.
- Choose a bag that breathes. A cotton bread bag or a beeswax bread bag keeps the bread fresh without trapping the moisture.
- Close the bag. The less air gets in, the more slowly the bread dries out.
- Keep it at room temperature. Out of the sun and not next to the hob or the radiator. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum) calls room temperature the best place for bread.
Why not in the fridge?
In the fridge bread actually goes stale faster. The starch in bread releases water between -5 and 5 degrees, Kassa explains. That makes the bread dry out. The Voedingscentrum also advises against the fridge. Rye bread is the exception: it contains a lot of moisture and goes mouldy quickly, so it is best kept cool.
Which bread do you store how?
| Type of bread | How to store it | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Soft bread, such as a tin loaf | In a closed bag at room temperature | In plastic it stays tender, in cotton the crust keeps better |
| Bread with a crust, such as sourdough | In a bag that breathes | The Voedingscentrum suggests a paper bag for a crisp crust |
| Rye bread | Cool, in the cellar or the fridge | Contains a lot of moisture and goes mouldy quickly |
| Currant buns and rolls | In a closed bag at room temperature | A second bag keeps them apart from the large loaf |
Freezing bread
Not going to eat the bread in time? Then freeze it. Do this as fresh as possible and let it cool down completely first. Cut it into slices, so you only take out what you need. In the freezer it is hard to do without plastic: use an airtight freezer bag or a container you reuse every time. That prevents freezer burn. According to Kassa, bread keeps for four to six weeks in the freezer. Do not refreeze bread that has thawed.
Sourdough bread
The same goes for sourdough: let it cool completely and keep it at room temperature in a bag that breathes. How to keep the crust crisp is explained in Storing sourdough bread. Torn between a bread bin, a paper bag or a bread bag? We compare them in Bread bin, paper bag or bread bag.
The TheWootz beeswax bread bag
The beeswax bread bag is a cotton outer bag that breathes, with an inner bag of cotton and beeswax. With many beeswax bread bags the wax layer is fixed to the fabric. With this one you slide the inner bag out, so the outer bag can go in the wash at 30 °C. It measures 43 x 32 cm, so a whole round loaf fits inside. You get two, so there is always a clean one ready. How to look after it is explained in Cleaning a beeswax bread bag.
